Fizik’s 3D printed saddle is now available for £370

If you've been waiting for this wonder saddle, it's now available. Fizik first showed its new Adaptive saddles developed using cutting-edge 3D printing technology at Eurobike last September, and now the Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive is available to purchase form your nearest Fizik stockist.

You’ll be prised of 370 of your hard-earned pounds but you are getting a saddle that has few rivals - the nearest competitor is the Specialized Power saddle but there’s no date on when that is available yet. So if you want a 3D printed saddle and you want it now, this is your only option.

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And before you go ranting to the comments saying you could buy a car for that, Fizik will happily sell you a regular Antares 00 Versus Evo saddle made the traditional way for £325. So actually, to get a state-of-the-art 3D printed saddle for ‘just’ another £50 doesn’t seem too outrageous. They could have probably priced it a lot higher if they really wanted to cause a social media storm. Like Mavic did with its £900 shoes.

Anyway back to what makes this saddle so unique. To create the revolutionary saddle Fizik has partnered with a US company called Carbon which is leading the way when it comes to commercially available 3D printing technology. Its Carbon Digital Light Synthesis process, used to create the Antares saddle,  uses a “digital ultraviolet light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce parts with excellent mechanical properties, resolution and surface finish.”

It basically amounts to 3D printing a special polymer material to replace the usual foam padding used in saddles. The benefit is that the printing process provides the opportunity to do things you can’t with current foam technology constraints.

The lattice structure that is created is added to a carbon fibre base with, in this example, carbon fibre rails. Fizik is claiming it provides improved power transfer, shock absorption, stability and comfort as a result of this technology.

Fizik describes the new saddle as having four ‘zones’ that work together to provide improved comfort over regular saddles.

The nose supports the rider in an aero position, the middle provides support when pedalling on the hoods, the Ischiatic zone props up the site bones and the rear is softly cushioned for more backward positions.

Other benefits to a company like Fizik is the faster manufacturing process, a claimed five times quicker than traditional methods. That’s ideal for prototype testing because you can work through different iterations more quickly, streamlining the process from concept to finished product. Fizik has been testing the saddle with amateur and professional athletes in its lab and on the road to arrive at the finished product.

Worried about how easy to look after it’ll be? Fizik says that it’s very easy to clean and just a water hose is all that’s need to keep it looking new. It’s rated for severe temperatures from -20 to +70℃ as well as UV protection it has been abrasion resistance tested.

Expect to see riders from Team Ineos, Team Jumbo Visma and Movistar Team using the new saddle this season. It’ll certainly be easy to spot due to its colour.

There are two width options. They are:

139mm

• Dimensions: 274x139mm
• Weight: 147g
• Height at 75mm width: 54mm
• Length from nose to 75mm width: 151mm

146mm

• Dimensions: 274x146mm
• Weight: 154g
• Height at 75mm width: 54mm
• Length from nose to 75mm width: 151mm

More info at www.fizik.com